Anna Frye Hayes AP World History 3A 2/13/2023 Mary Wollstonecraft Women equality has always been an issue even since early history. An early advocate for women’s equality was Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary Wollstonecraft wasn’t just an advocate of women’s rights but also a British writer and philosopher. She was born on April 27, 1759, in London and died September 10, 1797, in London from Septicemia. Mary Wollstonecraft was best known for her work, ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. This was one of the first texts by a female author that presented women’s education as an issue of universal human rights. Mary Wollstonecraft lived in the time period from 1759-1797. During this time period the little rights of women that were given was becoming an issue. Single women had little protection under the law. While married women lost their legal identity. Women couldn’t retain a lawyer, sign a contract, inherit property, vote, or have rights over their children. This being a time period of protests because of equality issues. Mary Wollstonecraft was important to history because she pushed society towards equality whether man or woman. To many people, Mary Wollstonecraft is merely a name to remember for general certificate of secondary education history when learning about the Suffrage moment of the late 19th and the early 20th century. The Suffrage moment referring to the seventy-two-year-long battle for women’s rights to vote in the United States. What Mary Wollstonecraft did that was important was the publication of ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ in 1792. As a result of that she importantly started the discussion of gender equality. Mary Wollstonecraft established the individualist roots of equal rights. These rights specifically being fought for women. In the long run, women rights were slowly gained after Mary Wollstonecraft’s influence. Now today, women can retain a lawyer, sign a contract, inherit property, vote, have rights over their children, etc. These of which women did not have power over before. So, Mary Wollstonecraft’s actions affected long-term history because it influenced equality which allowed the women today to have rights. Mary Wollstonecraft was a very big role in women’s equality. Today Mary Wollstonecraft is regarded as one of the founding feminist philosophers. Feminists often cite both her life and her works as important influences. During her brief career, she wrote novels, treaties, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution, a conduct book, and a children’s book. Her most popular work was ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. Mary Wollstonecraft played a huge role in gender equality which is still appreciated today. Overall, Mary Wollstonecraft was an astonishing historical figure. Work Cited Mary Wollstonecraft, Jeannette L. Nolen, Equality | human rights | Britannica The First Feminist: How Mary Wollstonecraft Changed The World, Ciaran Picker, The First Feminist: How Mary Wollstonecraft Changed The World | The Bubble Suffrage Movement, Elizabeth Smiltneek, Suffrage Movement | Learning to Give Equal Rights for Rights for Women: The Contribution of Mary Wollstonecraft, Jim Powell, Equal Rights for Rights for Women: The Contribution of Mary Wollstonecraft - Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org)